Lindsey Hunter is not trying to change a Suns player. He is trying to change the Suns culture.

That can be a soft concept to grasp and a formidable one to pull off, especially with Hunter cutting in on the dance during the song.

Mark Jackson makes Hunter feel better about that. Like Hunter, Jackson took over without coaching experience except for a long point-guard career. Jackson's Golden State Warriors had made the playoffs once in 19 years. Golden State endured a fourth consecutive losing season (23-43) under Jackson last year with similar questions about whether he was capable and deserving.

Golden State is 30-17 this season and Jackson is now advising Hunter, as friendship overrides divisional rivalry.

"Mark has helped me through this whole process," Hunter said. "It really shows me that it is possible to be successful and have a young team and turn it around and teach them how to be a good team. It's all of what we want to be."

Jackson did not have to take over midseason but he still had only a rushed camp after the 2011 lockout. Like Hunter, Jackson wanted a defensive emphasis and no nonsense. Like Jackson, Hunter has a chance at buy-in because the team bottomed out.

Neither had coached, but both Jackson and Hunter leaned on 17 seasons as a point guard.

Suns assistant coach Igor Kokoskov was empowered under Hunter to call offensive plays, design sets in timeouts and weigh in more on game management. It causes doubts about Hunter's aptitude for the job, a criticism Jackson drew last year with assistant Mike Malone doing much of the same

This season, Jackson looks more in command. Malone might still draw a play but it is the one Jackson chose and the way he wanted it.

"Lindsey's got a lot of experience in my book," Jackson said. "He played for some very good teams. He was really an extension of the coach as a player, especially later on in his career when he nurtured guys. I'd make the case that a young Derrick Rose is going to listen to Lindsey Hunter (his two-year teammate) before he listens to anybody else."

Jackson's and Doc Rivers' inexperience as coaches wasn't so heavily scrutinized because they were broadcasters. Because Hunter was an unseen scout and a back-row player-development coordinator, it looks like a longer leap. Hunter leans on his coach-on-the-floor career and said games are similar to when he coached his son's club.

"There's a lot more foundation to be laid and we're all in to do it," Hunter said. "It's not something that's going to happen overnight. We're going to lift each other up and grind it out."

Hunter's practices are the largest difference. They are quieter and crisper. The team moves quickly from drill to drill with even a timer on water breaks. If there is an error, the team runs. He demands eye contact for every instruction.

"More intense," center Marcin Gortat said. "We definitely are cutting out the BS stuff. Coach Lindsey likes discipline. Cutting the BS of throwing the balls, taking an extra shot, talking when Coach is talking. We're getting better. It's just a question of how long it'll take for us to compete with the best."

Hunter does not enjoy Jackson's benefit of a club that drafted higher (starters Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes) and acquired All-Star-quality big men for the other two spots (David Lee and Andrew Bogut).

"He had to adjust on the fly too," Curry said of Jackson. "You stay as consistent as possible with your philosophy and game plan no matter if you're winning or losing because you want to start implementing your philosophy on the team.

"You start to take the personality of the coach. Chemistry and communication develops. When you have a first-time coach and your record is not as good as you want, you want to stay as positive and consistent as possible."

Hunter finds praise in losses and extreme optimism for the future. After losing at San Antonio, he said it would not be long before the Suns were at the Spurs' level.

Until then, Hunter is questioned on whether he was ready or deserving, just like Jackson was.